Public Advisory: Child Death Review Committee Case Review

  • Justice and Public Safety

November 13, 2018

Under section 13.5 of the Fatalities Investigations Act, the Minister of Justice and Public Safety is required, within 60 days after receiving a report from the Child Death Review Committee (CDRC), to make public those recommendations relating to:

  • Relevant protocols, policies and procedures;
  • Standards and legislation;
  • Linkages and coordination of services; and
  • Improvements to services affecting children and pregnant women.

The CDRC forwarded four reports to the Minister of Justice and Public Safety on September 14, 2018, that included recommendations. The reports examine the facts and circumstances surrounding deaths of children and youth in Newfoundland and Labrador that occurred in 2017 and 2018.

Case 1:
A youth died in a motor vehicle accident.

Recommendations:

  1. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and the Department of Justice and Public Safety engage in exploring and implementing media blitz or other strategies to create public awareness leading up to the start of the school year, and other key times during the school year; and
  2. School districts and schools continue their conversations on safe walking practices for the benefit of students and families.

Case 2:
A youth died by suicide.

Recommendation:

  1. The CDRC recommended that the matter be referred to the Child and Youth Advocate for review and investigation.

Case 3:
A youth died from acute alcohol intoxication.

Recommendation:

  1. The CDRC recommended that the matter be referred to the Child and Youth Advocate for review and investigation.

Case 4:
A youth died by suicide.

Recommendations:

  1. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD) create increased and ongoing awareness of emergency contacts available to youth such as Kids Help Phone and Mental Health Crisis Line; and
  2. That EECD do so in cooperation with regional health authorities.

This report has been forwarded to the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate.

– 30 –

Media contact
Lesley Clarke
Justice and Public Safety
709-729-6985, 699-2910
LesleyClarke@gov.nl.ca

2018 11 13 4:00 pm